Among the adventurous
Malayan immigrants at the beginning of the 14th century who settled along
the banks of Rio Grande de la Pampanga were the ancestors of many Apalitenos.
These early settlers had an advanced civilization whose arts and culture
reached the Zambales mountains and the rest of Central Luzon.

At the time
Apalit was settled, there was a big sturdy tree "Ptero-Carpus Indicus"
or Apalit (also known as Narra) in Kapampangan at the present site of
the Catholic Parish Church of Saint Peter. Apparently, the town got its
name from that big legendary tree which is now the national tree of the
Philippines.

Apalit was formally established as an independent municipality in 1582 during the term of office of Spanish
Governor General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Penalosa. It was initially composed then of four encomiendas namely, Apali (Pale), La Castilla, Cabambangan and Capalangan. La Castilla was made the town proper (Poblacion) and was renamed later as San Juan Nepomuceno.

List of Apalit Municipal Town Executives/Mayors 1713 - Present

Years

Name

Years

Name

2007 - Present

Oscar Tetangco, Jr.

1810

Marcelo Nabal

1995 - 2007

Tirso G. Lacanilao

1809

Pablo Mercado

1983 - 1994

Oscar Tetangco

1808

Domingo Ponce

1979 - 1982

Romeo V. Pamintuan

1807

Juan Serrano

1972 - 1978

Oscar Tetangco

1806

Agustin Cabrera

1964 - 1971

Honorio Mercado

1805

Vicente Ponca

1955 - 1963

Alfonso Lugue

1804

Vicente Atienza

1952 - 1954

Moises Catacutan

1803

Pablo Torres

1948 - 1951

Cornelio Sigua

1802

Vicente Cabrera

1947

Emilio Pascual

1801

Juan Arcilla

1946

Manuel Reyes

1800

Feliciano Manangquil

1945

Patricio Tanjutco

1799

Fernando Gutierrez

1944

Miguel Catacutan

1798

Alejandro Gutierrez

1943

Sotero Garcia

1797

Nicolas Bautista

1938 - 1942

Patricio Tanjutco

1796

Tomas Lacandula

1935 - 1937

Cornelio Sigua

1795

Francisco Binuya

1932 - 1934

Dionisio David

1794

Diego Mercado

1931

Roman Balagtas

1793

Pablo Zaplala

1929 - 1930

Pablo Pungsalang

1792

Francisco Binuya

1924 - 1928

Ricardo Dalusung

1791

Juan Manlapaz

1924

Ricardo Dalusung

1790

Martin Carlos Padilla

1917 - 1923

Vicente Cacnio

1789

Alejo Pangan

1913 - 1916

Cayetano Arnedo

1788

Domingo Dungca

1908 - 1912

Tiburcio Mercado

1787

Pedro Cabrera

1902 - 1907

Cayetano Arnedo

1786

Bernabe de la Cruz

1900 - 1901

Macario Arnedo

1785

Pablo Binuya

1899

Casimiro Medina

1784

Pedro Joaquin

1898

Cayetano Dalusung

1783

Lucas Pungsalang

1897

Casimiro Medina

1782

Gregorio Alejo

1896

Luis Espiritu

1781

Leonardo Mamangun

1895

Eleuterio Pascual

1780

Fausto Binuya

1893 - 1894

Domingo Carlos

1779

Blashite Balagtas

1891 - 1892

Francisco Pascual

1778

Matias Bolus

1889 - 1890

Cayetano Dalusung

1777

Estanislao Pagpayo

1887 - 1888

Eleuterio Pascual

1776

Francisco Pangan

1885 - 1886

Pedro Espiritu

1775

Pablo Dungca

1883 - 1884

Balbino Mercado

1774

Felipe Cuyugan

1881 - 1882

Paulino Dalusung

1773

Agustin Gutierrez

1879 - 1880

Francisco Vergara

1772

Simon de Torres

1876 - 1878

Braulio Pangan

1771

Nicolas Ventura

1875

Vicente Enriquez

1770

Marcos Manangquil

1873 - 1874

Leon Timbol

1769

Jose Binuya

1871 - 1872

Jose Medina

1768

Agustin Soliman

1869 - 1870

Antonio Garcia

1767

Felipe Zaplala

1867 - 1868

Pedro Espiritu

1766

Jose Mariano

1865 - 1866

Alberto Dalusung

1765

Pedro Arceo

1863 - 1864

Crisanto Mercado

1764

Bonifacio Pungsalang

1862

Ignacio Balboa

1763

Jose Umali Centeno

1861

Juan Arnedo Cruz

1762

Nicolas Ventura

1860

Bernardino Dalusung

1761

Juan Bautista de Tabora

1859

Joaquin de la Cruz

1760

Pablo Binuya

1857 - 1858

Jose Sioco

1759

Tiburcio Padilla

1856

Manuel de la Cruz

1758

Geronimo Padilla

1855

Mariano Enriquez

1757

Lorenzo Manangquil

1854

Cayetano Dalusung

1756

Nicolas Pungsalang

1853

Lauriano Vergara

1755

Nicolas Tolentino

1852

Nicasio Vergara

1754

Pedro Yumul

1851

Tiburcio ?

1753

Jose Payabyab

1850

Florentino Yumul

1752

Marcos Cabrera

1849

Francisco Mercado

1751

Agustin Gamboa

1848

Cayetano Pascual

1750

Alfonso Patiang

1847

Jose Esteban Yamson

1749

Pedro Catu

1846

Francisco Dungca

1748

Dionisio Pangan

1845

Mariano Cabrera

1747

Marcos Cudia

1844

Geronimo Yumul

1746

Adriano Lumba

1843

Ceferino Lopez

1745

Agustin Torres

1842

Pedro Balboa Enriquez

1744

Lorenzo Manangquil

1841

Pedro Mamangun

1743

Pedro Pangan

1840

Paulo Carlos

1742

Diosdado Pungsalang

1839

Florentino de la Cruz

1741

Bernabe Nocum

1838

Pedro Cabrera

1740

Jose Arceo

1837

Miguel Cuyugan

1739

Pedro Cortez

1836

Luis Dungca

1738

Diosdado Pungsalang

1835

Vicente Yumul

1737

Gregorio Nocum

1834

Juan Macalino

1736

Pedro Cortez

1833

Jose Macapagal

1735

Juan Cudia

1832

Manuel Ponce

1734

Agustin de la Cruz

1831

Guillermo Yambao

1733

Lucas Catu

1830

Juan de la Cruz

1732

Juan Cudia

1829

Jose Sioco

1731

Agustin de la Cruz

1828

Feliciano Pangan

1730

Cristobal Maggalas

1827

Ambrosio Pungsalang

1729

Miguel Binuya

1826

Juan Serrano

1728

Juan Patio

1825

Felix Marcelo Garcia

1727

Juan Mancani

1824

Pedro Bonduc

1726

Francisco Simbulan

1823

Felipe Garcia Timbol

1725

Pedro Pungsalang

1822

Pantaelon Tenensa

1724

Diego Mercado

1821

Manuel Lumba

1723

Juan Capulong

1820

Fulgencio de la Cruz

1722

Jacinto Tria

1819

Pablo Mercado

1721

Lucas Pungsalang

1818

Isidro Ponce

1720

Nicolas Tupay

1817

Anastacio Pablo Yabut

1719

Esteban Ramos

1816

Mariano Pangan

1718

Santiago Vergara

1815

Marcelo Nabal

1717

Baltazar Catu

1814

Pedro Mercado

1716

Lucas Catu

1813

Jacinto Pangan

1715

Jose Samonte

1812

Pantaleon Atienza

1714

Francisco Canda

1811

Victorio Sarmiento

1713

Juan Cudia

It was not
until 1597 when the Apalit Parish of Saint Peter was created after its
separation from the Parish of Calumpit. Fr. Pedro de Vergara was appointed
as the first Parish Priest to attend to the spiritual needs of the Catholic
community of Apalit. In conjunction with the annual town fiesta, the traditional
fluvial parade of Saint Peter was initiated by Capitan del Pueblo Don
Pedro Armayan Espiritu on June 28, 1844.

The town
of Apalit is located in the southern part of Pampanga bounded in the south
by Calumpit, Bulacan, in the north by the town of San Simon and in the
west by the municipality of Macabebe.

With about
72 square kilometers in land area, the town of Apalit has a population
of about 78,295 people (per the year 2000 census) in its twelve barangays.
The twelve barangays of Apalit are:

Barangays
of Apalit

Balucuc

Colgante

San
Vicente

Calantipe

Paligue

Sucad

Cansinala

Sampaloc

Sulipan

Capalangan

San
Juan

Tabuyuc

Barrio Capalangan
which derived its name from the Kapampangan word "Palang" meaning
machete or bolo is believed to have been founded by the son of a certain
Gatbonton named Pangpalung who in his in youth was called Macapagal. This
barangay was the home of Panday Pira, the first known Filipino maker of
cannons. He manufactured cannons called lantakas for the troops of Rajah
Soliman and after the Spanish conquest of Manila, he worked for Adelantado
and Governor General Miguel Lopez de Legaspi.

Puerto Sulipan
was once the haven of Philippine high society and elite circles of the
rich and famous in politics and in business during the time of Capitan
del Pueblo Don Joaquin Arnedo-Cruz and his beautiful and highly sophisticated
wife, Dona Maria de la Paz Sioco y Arnedo-Cruz. Their palatial home was
the venue of big parties attended by high government officials from Manila
and European royalty. Their son Don Macario Arnedo, a four-term elected
governor of Pampanga during the early years of the 20th century continued
with his wife Dona Maria Espiritu Arnedo the traditional luxurious banquets
and balls in barrio Sulipan. The people of Sulipan are famous for their
exquisite cuisine which they acquired from Spanish and European chefs
while Spanish ships were anchored in Puerto Sulipan for repairs and maintenance.
Don Emilio Gonzalez, Capitan Juan Padilla, Anacleto Indiongco, Barrio
Chieftain Simeon Torres-Simon and his four younger brothers, Lorenzo,
Isaac, Miguel and Francisco Simon were among these Apaliteños who mastered
the art of Spanish and European cooking and baking which have been carried
by Kapampangans from generation to generation.

Apaliteños
are also noted for their cottage industries such as weaving of cloth,
mats, hats, pottery and metal working in gold, iron and silver. Many Apalitenos
work as tailors in Manila and some of them own and manage their own shops
and mens stores such as the late Atty. Amado Carlos of Toppers of Manila,
Lorenzo K. Guarin, married to an Apalitena, the founder of L. K. Guarin
Tailoring and Mens Wear and Remigio Danganan of Remars Tailoring and Fashion
Shop.

Apalit is
also a farming and fishing town. However, during the last few years, commercial
and manufacturing firms have been established in this town. Among these
manufacturing corporations are two large alcohol refineries and a big
depot of a multi-national oil corporation in sitio Alauli of barrio San
Vicente. Several banking institutions, shopping malls, department stores,
supermarkets, movie theaters, restaurants are also flourishing in the
business area of the town.

Among
many famous Apaliteños who distinguished themselves in the 20th
century are the following:

Judge Fulgencio Anicete - An alumnus of FEU who was a working student when he finished law. He was also a former associate of Geminiano Yabut Law Offices and was married to the former Naty J. Catacutan with whom he has three children; Alexander a PMA graduate and retired as a Colonel in the Philippine Marine, now a lawyer and connected with Cebu Pacific as a Commercial Pilot; Charlemagne a doctor of Medicine and Anna Marie who is in banking and finance. Judge Anicete served the Philippine Government, first as COMELEC Registrar in Apalit and was appointed in the Judiciary as Circuit Municipal Judge until his retirement at the compulsory age of 70 years. He was active in community, civic and religious affairs in Apalit during his lifetime and has served in various capacities with the Apalit Town Annual Fiesta.

Governor
Macario Arnedo- The
celebrated illustrado who was instrumental for the transfer of the capital
of Pampanga from Bacolor to San Fernando and for the rapid development
of agriculture, sugar manufacturing and commerce.

Dr. Mariano Dungca Bayani -
Widely known as a general practitioner in medicine, Dr. Bayani was both a licensed pharmacist and a medical doctor. He graduated with a degree in Pharmacy at the University of Santo Tomas and earned also his doctorate degree in medicine from the same institution in Manila. He specialized in pulmonary diseases (TB) at the Quezon Institute and later set up his medical practice in his hometown of Apalit while serving also as a municipal health officer. Well recognized in the medical and social circles and in civic activities, he was elected as president of the Pampanga Medical Society. His wife led the Pampanga Chapter of the Philippine National Red Cross for many years.

Fr. Gregorio Binuya -
Another prominent Apaliteno who dedicated his life to the priesthood in different parishes in Pampanga and became famous in the Cursillos Movement as a spiritual director and lecturer.

Honorable
Artemio Camaya Macalino - Championed the cause of the poor,
served as congressman of the second district of Pampanga and Executive
Judge of the Court of Agrarian Relations.

Brigadier
General Narciso M. Cabrera - Manila Chief of Police.

Bert
Simon Camiling - Popular socio-civic and labor leader; local
radio station musical director; member of national award-winning musical
group and dubbed as one of the best guitarists Pampanga has ever produced.
Nominated for the Governor's Award for Outstanding Kapampangan Guitarist
but died of cardiac failure in October, 1993.

Theresa Zuñiga Camiling-Gutierrez- Born in the City of San Fernando in the Province of Pampanga, Philippines and with heritage in the three towns of Lubao, Apalit and Bacolor in the same province, she is a pride of Filipino-Americans for her scholastic and outstanding professional accomplishments. As an active community organizer and strong advocate of the propagation of her native language and culture, she founded the Philippine-American Youth Association in the cities of Altadena and Pasadena, California. She was the first Filipino-American Field Office Director of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Chairperson of the Federal Executive Board of Greater Los Angeles.

Prior to assuming the role of Los Angeles Field Office Director in December 2003, Theresa was the Field Office Director for the Santa Ana, California HUD Office, and hadbeen a Project Director for a real estate auction marketing firm, a Marketing Vice President, a commercial and residential Real Estate Agent, and the head of a nonprofit housing organization. The spirit she broughtto HUD’s Los Angeles Office and Santa Ana, California HUD Field Office magnified her efforts to support low-income families as they strive to live the American Dream. As an Environmental Health Specialist with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services she investigated and issued Notices of Violations of health and safety codes in the arena of Housing as well as retail food handling.

Educated at the University of Southern California, Theresa had served on the boards of several nonprofit housing organizations throughout Southern California. She joined HUD in 1999 as a Community Builder Fellow and graduated from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Executive Management Program. After her fellowship, she became a career Community Builder and was promoted later to Senior Community Builder for the Santa Ana, California HUD Office. In April of 2002, she was selected as the Santa Ana, California Field Office Director and then transferred to the Los Angeles, California HUD Field Office in 2003. For her outstanding achievements as a US federal governmental agency executive, she was recognized and awarded plaques of appreciation by the Inspector General of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the United States Office of Personnel Management in Washington DC and by the Federal Executive Board of Greater Los Angeles.

Atty.
Restituto Capulong - A Pampanga High School Centennial Awardee for Government Service is a noted lawyer-politician who served as a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) representing the 4th District of Pampanga in 1992-1998. He was also a director and corporate secretary of Clark Development Corporation, Managing Director of Mondragon Leisure Estate (Mimosa) and Officer-In-Charge of CDC Special Project for Resort Operations. In addition to his current law practice, he is also corporate secretary of JCET Resources Mining Corporation and Microminerals Resources Mining Corporation as well as Director-President of Pampanga III Electric Cooperative (PELCO III).

Bishop Federico Escaler, S.J. - He was ordained to the priesthood on June 19, 1954 at the Fordham Chapel in Fordham, New York City and became a bishop on July 31, 1976 at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila. He served as Bishop Ordinary of Prelature of Kidapawan. He was once the Assistant to Jesuit Provincial, Superior in La Ignaciana Retreat House, President and Rector of the Ateneo de Davao in Davao City, Treasurer of Jesuit Province in Manila, and became the President and Rector of Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City.

Don
Jose Escaler - A top-notch lawyer, educator, industrial
and business executive. He was the first president and general manager
of PASUDECO, first Filipino assistant director of Education, Undersecretary
of Justice and a member of the Board of Regents and acting president
of the University of the Philippines.

Atty.
Jose A. Espiritu - Professor and Dean of the College of
Law of the University of the Philippines.

Dr.
Remedios E. Galang - A medical graduate of the University
of the Philippines and first woman councilor of Apalit and co-founder
of two private schools in Apalit and San Luis.

Col.
Ricardo Galang - Author, graduate school dean and World
War II hero who fought the Japanese Imperial Forces. He established
an Allied Forces Espionage network during the Japanese occupation of
the Philippines and maintaineda military liaison with General Douglas MacArthur in Australia.

Dr.
Ricardo Espiritu Galang, PhD - Famous anthropologist, distinguished
professor, author and former chairman of the Anthropology Department
of the University of the Philippines.

Ambassador Hermenigildo B. Garcia - A linguist and career diplomat.
He rose from the ranks to the position of Ambassador of the Philippines.

Brother
Andrew Gonzalez - Former Secretary of Education, author,
former president of De La Salle University and Manila Bulletin and primary
donor for the construction and operation of Apalit Small Christian Community
Hospital.

Don
Augusto Gonzalez y Sioco - Successful industrial executive,
lawyer, philanthropist who donated the present site and the Apalit Municipal
Government building, co-founder of Pampanga Sugar Development Co., Inc.
and one of the most prominent and wealthy Kapampangans during his lifetime.

Dr.
Bienvenido M. Gonzalez - A brilliant educator and former
president of the University of the Philippines.

Don
Fausto Gonzalez y Sioco - Generous philanthropist and a
distinguished member of the Philippine National Assembly in the 1930s.
Don Fausto was also known in Europe and in America as "Count of
Apalit".

Dr.
Fernando S. Gonzalez - Eldest son of Dr. Joaquin and Dona
Florencia Sioco Gonzalez who followed the footsteps of his famous father
in the medical profession and became an efficient public health officer
in Pampanga, La Union and Rizal. Through self-study he became proficient
in foreign languages such as German, Italian, Malay, Sanskrit, etc.
He was an artist, a playwright and coin and stamp collector. He married
Dona Clementina Elizalde, a beautiful and intelligent teacher from the
prominent and wealthy Elizalde clan and they settled in San Luis, Pampanga.
As a landowner, he was down to earth and loved by his tenants and by
their families.

Gene
Gonzalez - Nephew of Brother Andrew Gonzalez, famous book
author in culinary arts, entrepreneur and owner of popular restaurants
in Metro Manila, a high class caterer and an Asian Games champion in
fencing.

Dr.
Jesus S. Gonzalez - Second eldest son of Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez
and Dona Florencia Sioco Gonzalez. Like his dad and elder brother, he
became also a famous medical doctor who had four years of post graduate
medical training as a pediatrician in Munich, Germany and he was the
only doctor at one time in the whole nation who could perform a procedure
called "intubation" whereby a tube is placed in the trachea
to let the patient breathe.

Dr.
Joaquin Gonzalez - Pampanga Representative to the Malolos
Congress and first rector of Universidad Cientifico-Literaria de Filipinas,
the forerunner of the University of the Philippines.

Atty.
Almario de Jesus - The third child of the eleven children of former Councilor of Apalit, Andres V. de Jesus and the former Rosa Castillo who attended Jose Escaler Memorial School in his hometown of Apalit, Pampanga. He worked at Camp John Hay at the City of Pines while pursuing his college education at Baguio Colleges. A brilliant student and outstanding public speaker and debater, he graduated from Baguio Colleges with a Bachelor of Laws degree and passed the bar examination in 1965. He set up his law practice in Manila handling legal cases for Guacods Marine Terminal, Luzon Stevedoring Corporation and multi-national oil corporations such as Arco, Amoco and Superior Oil of Houston Texas. He was also appointed by the Philippine Supreme Court as a Legal Aid Lawyer in Pampanga helping indigents who needed legal representation. An active socio-civic-religious leader, he served as president of the Rotary Club of Southern Pampanga, Worthy Advocate of the Knights of Columbus and an officer of the Apaliteños Educational Foundation. He is also a Director/Parliamentarian of the Apaliteños of Southern California, Academia Ning Amanung Sisuan International and the United Pampanga Leaders Council, an umbrella organization of Pampanga towns associations in Southern California.

As a strong advocate of the propagation of the Kapampangan language and culture, he is acclaimed for his writings and poems in Kapampangan. In 2008, he was awarded the Medal and Certificate of Excellence in Poetry by the United Poet Laureate International and on September 6, 2009, he was proclaimed and recognized as Poet Laureate by Academia Ning Amanung Sisuan International (ANASI) and by the Aguman Capampangan in Portland, Oregon. Such awards made him the first and only Apaliteño to be bestowed with such prestigious recognition. He is now a member of the College of Poet Laureate of the Parnasung Kapampangan. His composed poems could be accessed in his blog http://sites.google.com/site/almariodejesus.

Mayor
Tirso Lacanila - Self-made millionaire, two-term vice mayor
and current mayor of Apalit and benefactor of many young, poor but intelligent
Apalitenos in pursuing their education.

Brigadier
General David Laquian - Deputy Chief of Staff of the Philippine
National Police.

Bert
Le Roy - One of the best character actors of his time both
on stage andscreen. His
patriotism led to his arrest, imprisonment and death at the hands of
the Japanese Imperial Forces during World War II.

Fr. Rolando Q. Lopez -
A native Apaliteno who has been appointed as Parish Priest of Apalit in Selptember 2007 replacing Fr. Larry Sarmeinto who has been re-assigned to another parish in Pampanga.

Adelino
Lugue - Well-known Philippine CPA, co-founder of the Cursillo
Movement in Pampanga, District Governor of Rotary International and
former Provincial Board Member.

Cresencio
Simon Mendoza - Self-made millionaire, business leader,
former presidentof Rotary
Club of Apalit, Pampanga, primary donor/committee chairman for the construction
of the first Catholic Chapel in Alauli andfather of town councilor and businessman Sonny Mendoza.

Dr.
Jose Carlos Pangan, Jr. - Consistent scholar from grade
school to School of Medicine at University of Santo Tomas. Took post
graduate studies in New York and established a successful medical practice
in general surgery in Massachusetts.

Engineer
Godofredo Gaddi Pangan - Administrator of the Rural Electrification
Program of the Philippines and Undersecretary and acting Secretary of
Public Works.

Atty.
Pastor T. Pangan -Regional Director of the National Bureau of Investigation who
was recognized as Outstanding Pampangueno for Law Enforcement.

Benito
Pangilinan - A director of the Bureau of Public Schools
and Undersecretary of Education.

Dominador
Pangilinan - President and Chief Executive Officer of Traders
Royal Bank, one of the leading commercial banks in the Philippines.

Manuel V. Pangilinan - has his roots in Apalit, Pampanga. He completed his elementary and high school education at San Beda College and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics degree at Ateneo de Manila University (Cum Laude). He received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania in the USA. A very successful and wealthy businessman, he is the chairman of PLDT, ABC TV5, Smart Telecommunications, Stradcom International Holdings Inc. and Cure Inc., First Pacific Company Ltd, Cignal Digital TV, Pilipino Telecommunication Corporation Piltel (Talk N' Text), First Pacific Tollways Corporation and Metro Pacific Investment Corporation, He is also the President and CEO of MERALCO as well as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of San Beda College.

Engr. Pastor Pangilinan -
First Apaliteno to graduate in Aeronautical Engineering in the early 1950s from FEATI University and became a senior vice president for operations of Philippine Airlines and a consultant of other airlines.

Sixto Pangilinan - A successful entrepreneur who started as a traveling merchant, he established the first Flying A Gasoline Station, initiated the Pangilinan Service Station and operated a retail store in Apalit. He was also a popular cabeza del barrio (barangay captain) of San Vicente and a municipal councilor in his hometown.

Mayor Emilio Pascual, MD -
A well-respected medical practitioner and popular political and civic leader in his community, he was appointed as a municipal mayor of Apalit in 1947 to jump-start the economic recovery of his hometown from the ravages of World War II.

Dr.
Napoleon Punsalan - Prominent medical doctor specializing
in surgery in New York City, New
York.

Orlando
Punsalan - Famous radio announcer and father of movie actress
Princess Punsalan.

Dr. Antonio C. Quiroz - Voted as 1988 Outstanding Filipino Physician by the Association of Filipino Physicians in America. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in the specialty of Internal Medicine and the subspecialty of Cardiovascular diseases. He is a product of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and trained at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and the Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been a professor, a researcher and a cardiology department director at various medical centers and hospitals in the United States of America. He was also a Visiting Professor of Medicine at the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia. He is credited with at least 43 publications in American Medical journals. He is listed in Leaders in American Science, Who's Who in Louisiana, Personalities of the South and the Marquis' Who's Who in the South and Southwest. Still in active practice in the medical profession, he specializes in cardiology in Germantown, Tennessee. He completed his elementary schooling in public schools in Apalit, Pampanga and his secondary education at Pampanga High School at the age of fifteen years and his medical degree from the University of Sto. Tomas when he was twenty-two years of age.

Col.
Eulalia P. Reyes - A woman medical doctor who joined the
United States Air Force Medical Corps after a successful medical practice
in the USA and in the Philippines and rose to the rank of colonel.

Florante
P. Reyes: - Successful Certified Public Accountant and Chief
Executive Officer in the Insurance and Banking Industry and well-known
sportsman, socio-civic leader and philanthropist in the Philippines.

Honorable
Adelina Galang Santos de Rodriguez - Renowned and effective mayor
of Quezon City from 1976 to 1986 and and a member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine National Red Cross.

Dr. Priscilla Galang Santos de Manalang - PhD, Professor of Education and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University of the Philippines.

Larry
Sigua - Leading businessman, real estate developer, journalist,
newspaper publisher and current president of Knights of St. Peter.

Atty.
Rodolfo Sigua - Celebrated member of the legal profession
and renowned political leader of Pampanga.

Bernardo P. Simon who has to his credit the authorship of several elementary mathematics books and publications is a very promising career executive of the Department of Education in the Philippines. He started his professional career as a classroom teacher and moved up as Head Teacher-III then to School Principal-I. Impressed by his administrative and technical skills, the DepEd Division of Pampanga promoted him to Education Supervisor-I in-charge of Elementary Mathematics and as Industrial Arts Physical Facilities Coordinator. In 2008, he was transferred to the DepED Region III Office and was given the title of Education Supervisor-II. He was promoted again in May 2010 as Assistant Division Chief of DepED Region III. He is also a member of the Faculty of the Graduate School of the Don Honorio Ventura Technological University in Bacolor, Pampanga.

Dr. Simon’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education, Master of Arts in Industrial Education and Doctor of Education.

In 1999, the DepED City Division of San Fernando, Pampanga conferred on him the Most Outstanding School Administrator Award and on December 12, 2006, the DepED Physical Facilities Schools Engineering Department Central Office awarded him as one of the Ten Most Outstanding Physical Facilities Coordinator of the Philippines

Dr. Simon is married to the former Norma Capulong, Public School Principal II and they are blessed with three children namely, Bernadette, a senior bank teller at BDO, Normando, Dean of the College of Business Administration at Systems Plus University in Angeles City and May, a Core Trainer.

Eddie
Ayson Simon - Current Provincial Board Member of Pampanga,
successful business and insurance executive, major financial contributor
to barangay projects and champion of the poor.

Engineer
Juanito Ayson Simon - Pride of Apalit and an international
award-winning inventor of an engine oil additive which is now in the
market in the USA, the Philippines and other countries.

Cecilia
Gonzalez Soriano - Career government official and former
Undersecretary of Finance.

Dr.
Manuel Galang Soriano, Jr. - Eminent specialist in urology
who took up graduate studies in medicine in the USA and set up a successful
medical practice in Pennsylvania. To share his expertise in the medical
profession to his fellow Filipinos, he decided to return to the Philippines
as a consultant and FEU associate professor of urology.

Mayor
Oscar Tetangco - Long-term municipal executive and strong
advocate of industrial and commercial development of the town of Apalit.

Brigadier
General Edgar Dula Torres- Superintendent of the Northern
Police District of the Philippines and Vice Chairman of the Philippine
Police Commission.

Atty.
Eller Dula Torres - A law scholar who scored 91% in the
bar examination. He was appointed as the first city fiscal of Angeles
City and served later as assemblyman of the 3rd district of Pampanga.

Atty.
Medardo D. Torres - A five-star defense lawyer in many criminals
and civil cases in the '60s. Had he not migrated to the USA as an aspiring
stage/television/movie actor, his legal expertise could have already
made him a famous judge or a justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Atty. Torres is now a successful businessman in southern California
specializing in real estate marketing and financing.

Sixto
Vergara Torres - Worked for the Land Transportation Commission
as regional director and deputy commissioner. He is most remembered
for founding the Gonzalez Memorial Academy which is now a college in
Apalit.

Dr.
Carlos Uyan - Socio-civic-religious leader, leading doctor
of veterinary medicine and president of ASCOM USA.

Palmacio
Espiritu Vargas - Well-known socio-civic-religious leader, bank and business executive
and was once elected number one municipal councilor and father of former
town councilor Marlon Vargas.

Thousands
of Apalitenos fought for their country to gain independence against the
Spaniards, the Americans, the Japanese and other foreign invaders.

Andro and Tess Z. Camilingare conscientious researchers and writers of Kapampangan history, language and culture. They wrote “Pampanga: History and Culture", "Pampanga: Towns and Barangays", "The Province of Pampanga and Its People” and other articles including “Malay Relation With Kapampangan Language and Culture”, "Spanish Relation With Kapampangan Language and Culture", biographies of eighteen (18) famous Kapampangans and the history of the towns of Apalit, Lubao, Masantol, Mexico, Minalin, San Fernando, San Luis, San Simon and Santo Tomas of the Province of Pampanga, Philippines. Andro is a true-blue Kapampangan based in California USA where he was employed and retired as an accounting/financial director at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and practiced his CPA profession as a management and tax consultant. He is a Pampanga High School Centennial Awardee as an Outstanding Alumnus in the Field of Accountancy and a recipient of the City of San Fernando’s 2011 Outstanding Fernandino Award for Culture. His wife and co-author of the aforementioned articles, the former Teresita Manalansan Zuniga of Lubao, Pampanga, Philippines is a retired public school teacher in Pasadena, California. She was honored and awarded with Certificates of Recognition by the California State Assembly and the California State Senate for her outstanding dedication to teaching when she retired in 2003. Andro and Tess are dedicated socio-civic-religious leaders in their community and served as long-term presidents of their town non-profit charitable organizations in the USA.